Vast
/væst/
adjectivemediumCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Extremely large in size, degree, or extent.
/væst/
adjectiveneutralmedium
General
Of very great extent or quantity; immense.
The library held a vast collection of books.
💡 Simply: Imagine a really, really big thing! Like, so big you can barely see the edges. Think of the ocean – it's vast! Or a huge library with tons of books – that's vast, too!
👶 For kids: Super big! Like the ocean or the sky.
More Examples
2
The vast plains of Africa teemed with wildlife.
3
He had a vast knowledge of history.
How It's Used
Geography
"The vast desert stretched before them."
Figurative
"A vast amount of information was available online."
Synonyms
From Old French *vaste*, from Latin *vastus* meaning "immense, desolate, waste".
Used since the 14th century to describe large areas or quantities.
Memory tip
Think of a huge, empty space, like a large, spacious house.
Practice
vastevasted
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written